STRUGGLE IN THE MUD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10116, 25 October 1917, Page 3

STRUGGLE IN THE MUD.

CARRYING ON SOMEHOW. (From Captain C. F. W. Bean, Australian Press Representative.) LONDON, Oct. SWild .storms, hitter weather, and penetrating ami driving rain, have reduced the Vpros battlefield to a wilderness of mud. The carrying on of the ordinary ol through this involves an immense hardship, but it goes forward somehow. The endurance displayed by the men in these, conditions certainly would not have been believed rmsiblc before this wav. The Germans have. better country, but they have not the weight of the. British artillery. There has just ceased the sound of a bombardipmit which has continued for over an hour. The diary of one of the Germans who was opposite the Australians in Polygon shows what the Germans think of that fire. “This is a place to come to alter our glorious time in Russia,” he, says, ”ls it not monstrous? Division after division is thrown intp this part of the line, to come out decimated a few (lays altorwards. All that the newspapers tell us is that the- lino has been valiantly held, and that the enemy obtained trilling local successes. It is no longer possible to believe them. I. have not seen anytiring even, approximately resembling Polvgon Wood. We were wrongly guided,'and got into quite a different sector from that intended. However, we secured a. dngout on the very trout line, but the line was so continuously under tiro that it was impossible .0 stick out your head by day. Kuemy snipers would lire immediately. The activity here is indescribable. An entires detachment ol our battalion got lost, and walked into the arms of Dm enemy. Through a telescope I could see them marched away ,ju fours. AH' ■ what I have seen of the activity of the artillery here I consider that we cannot hope, to win a- decisive victory a;< long as the enemy is able to bring against us such an overwhelming weight of artillery ol all calibres.”